Workers invincible when united - Zarb

General Workers Union secretary general Tony Zarb said yesterday that the events at Farsons last week that culminated in a sit-in strike ordered by the GWU and a lockout by management should serve as a lesson to the company`s management and to all workers.

The outcome of the industrial action at Farsons had shown, Mr Zarb said, that workers were invincible once they remained united and that other companies should not attempt to turn the clock back on the workers` achievements.

Speaking to Farsons employees at the GWU headquarters in Valletta to explain to them the details of the new collective agreement, he said that through the agreement the union had taken into consideration not only the interest of current workers but also of future employees.

The union and Farsons agreed on the new collective agreement on Friday after a day-long meeting spearheaded by Frank Pullicino, director for industrial relations.

The dispute at Farsons escalated on Thursday after seven employees went on strike which spread to a sit-in by brewery workers, a lockout of workers by Farsons and a union order to all its members to boycott the company`s products.

The union had declared a dispute because, it said, Farsons were taking far too long to agree to a revision of the collective agreement, which expired last December.

Continuing, Mr Zarb said the GWU was prepared to work with anyone as long as the workers lost none of their rights.

He commended Gejtu Mercieca, secretary of the union`s chemical and general workers section, for his endeavours to safeguard the rights of workers at Farsons.

Addressing workers, Mr Mercieca said the union was prepared to assist Farsons but was not allow the introduction of systems that would lead to wage cuts.

The GWU had refused to allow any reduction in wages when Farsons argued that workers in companies producing similar products had lower wage packets.

Through the new collective agreement, workers in the lowest grade would be receiving a Lm2 weekly increase and Lm50 annual bonus tied to profit before tax registered by Farsons.

At the end of the meeting, the workers approved a resolution thanking GWU officials and Mr Pullicino for their efforts to break the deadlock and approved the new collective agreement.